Connection & Belonging in Our 20-Minute Neighbourhoods

The recent Scottish Government's draft National Planning Framework opened to consultation. The draft sets out a strategy for ‘Sustainable, Liveable, Productive and Distinctive places’. And puts design at the centre of a net-zero, sustainable Scotland by 2045.

One planning principle in the draft is ‘20-minute neighbourhoods’. This means neighbourhoods are designed so people can meet the majority of their daily needs within a reasonable walk, wheel or cycle (within approx. 800m) of their home.

This blog post summarises some of the key points made by Culture Counts in our evidence to the consultation. And explores how the arts and culture fit into 20-minute neighbourhoods.

Learning from what works

The Government’s draft tells us “The application of the 20 Minute Neighbourhood will vary across the country and will need to be adjusted to suit local circumstances, particularly in rural areas where the delivery of services and extent of local infrastructure may not necessarily be supported by the surrounding density of population.”

But working with Culture Counts members we discovered the 20 minute model of neighbourhoods may not map into what currently works in rural communities. The principle is designed so that all people can meet the majority of their daily needs within approx. 800m. This suggests distances beyond 800m are too far, or inconvenient. However, what looks like an inconvenience from the outside might embody something essential to those who live there.

Mobile services can create connected neighbourhoods. Mobile cinemas and libraries, for example, create social occasions. They create opportunities for communities to meet and to feel a sense of connection and belonging.

These cultural services encourage and enable the gathering of people to participate in a community event, which produces a local opportunity for connection and belonging, reducing isolation, and improving mental health.

While recognising the NPD4 strategy is to change the way we live in the future, it’s important we work towards community-led and community-controlled outcomes. Culture Counts support the principles of the Design Justice Network. We would appreciate it if the Scottish Government would consider signing up to the principles.

Rural and suburban

Rural areas are a source of valuable alternative models to 20 Minute neighbourhoods. Many central belt communities are not so much post-industrial as reverting to a pre-industrial model, with a mix of self-employment, small (often craft) businesses, people with multiple jobs, and such communities often effectively made into islands by poor transport links. Rural communities have had generations of coping with such models; these former industrial areas have seen a massive change in just one generation.

The many urban peripheral housing estates which lack access to facilities, also lack the accessible and affordable transport links to bring their inhabitants to the city or town centre. These communities need to be considered in between the needs of rural and urban.

Baseline cultural provision

The 20-minute neighbourhood principle is clear in encouraging people to live more locally.

This requires places to provide communities with local access to a wide range of facilities. The National Performance Framework Outcome for Culture reads: We are creative and our vibrant and diverse cultures are celebrated and enjoyed widely. A baseline of how much provision isn't clear. We can't have a cinema every 800 meters, but could there be a base-level commitment to access to culture? i.e.

A town with 10,000 inhabitants should have access to:

  • High-Speed Broadband [minimum xx MbPS]

  • Local cinema provision [within xx miles]

  • Local visual arts provision [within yy miles]

  • Local performing arts provision [within zz miles]

  • Access to National Companies’ work xx times per year

  • Access to a place to perform work within x miles

  • Access to a place to rehearse and or make work within x miles

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Sources

  • https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotland-2045-fourth-national-planning-framework-draft/pages/1/

  • https://www.screenmachine.co.uk/

  • https://www.euro.who.int/en/publications/abstracts/what-is-the-evidence-on-the-role-of-the-arts-in-improving-health-and-well-being-a-scoping-review-2019

  • https://designjustice.org/principles-overview

  • https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/how-cultural-activity-can-fuel-scotlands-covid-recovery-john-alexander-3502365

  • https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/national-outcomes/culture

News, Policy PositionsLori Anderson